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Success in Progress? Tourism as a Tool for Inclusive Development in Peru’s Colca Valley

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Tourism in Latin America

Abstract

In contemporary Peru, high expectations have been set for tourism as an economic activity that can contribute to inclusive development by offering an alternative to extractive industries and providing new opportunities to historically marginalized populations, particularly in the rural sierra. We provide a historical overview of criteria for “success” in tourism and note that those criteria associated with coordinated planning and the effective incorporation of local populations in the tourism value chain are currently considered most important by governmental and other actors in Peru. The case study takes place in the Colca Valley in southern Peru, a mainstream and increasingly popular destination. We do not claim this case to be an unmitigated “success” but describe the benefits obtained from tourism by local populations in the districts of Cabanaconde, Tapay and Sibayo, while also noting their respective failures or shortfalls. We suggest that for the positive aspects to be disseminated more widely, and problems to be addressed, there needs to be effective spaces for participation, dialogue and decision-making by different actors. At present there are a number of impediments to this, which ultimately relate to deep-seated problems in the Peruvian society and economy. Thus, there is no straightforward pathway to “successful” tourism in Peru; rather, by opening spaces amenable to social and economic participation by local populations, tourism can be one part of a process of change towards more inclusive and sustainable development.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Within academia, the Journal of Sustainable Tourism published its first issue in 1992 and the Journal of Ecotourism in 2002.

  2. 2.

    The main attractions include destinations such as Machu Picchu and Cusco, Arequipa and Lake Titicaca in Puno in the south; Huaraz, Trujillo and Lambayeque in the north; Iquitos, Tambopata and Manu in the jungle; and Lima, the capital city.

  3. 3.

    Exploratory interviews conducted in MINCETUR’s Vice-ministry of Tourism (May, 2012).

  4. 4.

    According to an interview with the National Director of Tourism Product Development at MINCETUR (May 2012).

  5. 5.

    Information provided by the head of the CBT Programmme at MINCETUR (May 2012). Arguably, this represents a move from a “community-based tourism” approach to more of a “pro-poor tourism” philosophy.

  6. 6.

    Along with the Nazca Lines and Lake Titicaca.

  7. 7.

    There continues to be scientific debate about the respective dimensions of the Colca and Cotahuasi canyons (both in the region of Arequipa, Peru).

  8. 8.

    The 2007 Colca Valley population is derived from the Census for Caylloma province minus the population of the Majes district, newly created and incorporated into Caylloma since 1993 (Bidwell, 2011).

  9. 9.

    Based on observations undertaken by Bidwell in 2010 and 2011.

  10. 10.

    According to informal interviews carried out in Cabanaconde, July 2012.

  11. 11.

    Located in the upper part of the Colca Valley, approximately one hour by road from Chivay.

  12. 12.

    Bidwell & Murray (submitted for publication (a)) suggest that a reason for this is that local tourism initiatives have been more closely associated with the urban business and employment experiences of return migrants, rather than the (somewhat) more structured and cooperative village life.

  13. 13.

    The exchange rate used is PEN 2.7 = US$1.

  14. 14.

    This information was provided during an interview with the coordinator of the regional government tourism office’s CBT programme (July 2012). It is consistent with the data collected by Bidwell (2011) but differs significantly from the data provided to Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Commerce and Tourism (MINCETUR, interviews carried out in May 2012) which reported that tourism entrepreneurs in Sibayo were receiving PEN 583 (US$ 216) per capita per month, information that the authors consider implausible as it cannot be made consistent with available data on number of visitors, nights stayed and prices charged.

  15. 15.

    Some data indicate that a single hospedaje in Tapay, away from the main trekking route, received as many visitors in 2010 as the entire village of Sibayo (Bidwell, 2011).

  16. 16.

    Tourism entrepreneurs have also continued to find novel ways to overcome the challenges posed by geography. For example, the first electricity supply in Sangalle was established in 2010 using a small generator powered by falling spring water.

  17. 17.

    For example, in late 2011, Autcolca doubled the price of the tourist ticket from PEN 35 to 70 (US$ 13 to $26), a move criticized by many other stakeholders, including the regional government’s tourism office and NGOs as well as many local entrepreneurs who reported suffering from a reduction in income as tourist volumes dropped.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Quito, Ecuador

    María-Luisa Rendón

  2. Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    Simon Bidwell

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  1. María-Luisa Rendón
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Correspondence to María-Luisa Rendón or Simon Bidwell .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Arts, Science and Humanities, University of Sao Paulo - USP, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Alexandre Panosso Netto

  2. School of Arts, Science and Humanities, University of Sao Paulo - USP, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Luiz Gonzaga Godoi Trigo

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Rendón, ML., Bidwell, S. (2015). Success in Progress? Tourism as a Tool for Inclusive Development in Peru’s Colca Valley. In: Panosso Netto, A., Trigo, L. (eds) Tourism in Latin America. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05735-4_12

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